Airports are some of the most hectic places you will ever go into. Even though every checkpoint you go through is to fly is necessary, people find themselves scrambling to make it to their planes in time.

Maurice and Carolyn Hunter from London have been married for more than 47 years. In summer 2016, they found themselves racing against the clock to catch a flight, as they had a big trip planned.

(Facebook / Carolyn Hunter)

The couple were going to fly to Spain for Maurice’s birthday. And from the moment they arrived to Stansted Airport, they were doing their best to get to their plane in time.

Before they were able to board, Maurice had to use the bathroom, and couldn’t hold it before they got on. He had to go, right then and there.

Outside of the bathroom, Carolyn told her husband, “I will wait here — come find me, then we’ll get on the plane.”

(YouTube / This Morning)

When Maurice emerged from the bathroom, his wife was nowhere to be found.

The couple only had one phone between the two of them, as Maurice said, “I just don’t believe in carrying phones when you don’t need them.”

With the flight close to leaving, he assumed that Carolyn would meet him on the plane. So, he boarded it.

The couple had separate seats booked due to Maurice’s long legs, and he claims he saw his wife sitting in her respective seat, waving at him.

(Pexels / Anugrah Lohiya)

Seeing that his wife was on the flight, Maurice was able to sit down and relax, and the flight took off.

When the plane landed, Maurice was one of the first people to get off, and placed himself where he could see everyone coming out of the gate. He assumed he would spot his wife in the sea of people.

Until he didn’t.

“I see everyone come off the plane, and uh, she didn’t come off the plane,” he said.

He figured he would’ve been able to scope out his wife of almost 50 years, but she never came. Getting concerned, he asked a local employee about her, who looked into it and got back to Maurice with some shocking news.

His wife never got on the plane.

The woman who he thought was his wife was someone completely different, which meant that Carolyn was still at the Stansted airport, and had been for hours.

(YouTube / This Morning)

“That’s a hell of a long time on the toilet,” Carolyn thought as she was waiting for Maurice.

She only moved to a different spot outside the bathroom, but had still been waiting for Maurice.

The delay had been long enough for her to ask someone to check in on her husband in the bathroom, and the person couldn’t find him.

Her anger at missing the flight soon turned into concern, as she had no idea where her husband could’ve gone. Airport employees were then looking into what happened to Maurice, and that’s when a man told her.

“I need to tell you, he’s up in the air,” he said.

“What?”

That was the only thing she was able to ask. But at least her husband was okay.

Maurice took the same plane back to Stansted Airport. Once the couple was reunited, they both figured this was enough for them.

They gave up on flying; the couple ended up retreating to a caravan they already had to celebrate Maurice’s birthday.

(YouTube / This Morning)

And after a scary experience like that, who could blame them? Both of them became worried sick about each other, and the last thing they wanted to do was get on a different plane and start it over again.

At least the couple was able to have a laugh about it. The situation could’ve been much worse, and hopefully from now on, each of them will carry their own phone.